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How to tally your calories for the day?
Nedgyx
Posts: 16 Member
I'll start off with my calories/macros:
2200 Calories
160 Protein
50 Fat
275 Carbs.
I usually hit my macros pretty well but the calories are always all over the place. What I do is I eat throughout the day and then I make my macros add up to 2200. Because I don't always hit exactly 50 fat or 160 protein. So I will tally up my macros and fit them to my calories.
Example on one day I hit 289 carbs, 43 fat and 165 protein. 289*4+43*9+165*4=2203 (I try to hit my calories within a 20 calorie range). But on that day my calories were 2272. I also hit 32 grams of fiber Which if I factored that in, it would be 289*4+43*9+165*4+32*2 2267 calories, which seems more accurate.
Then another day I hit 273 carbs, 49 fat, 159 protein, 32 fiber. So, 2169 (2233 with fiber) But MyfitnessPal said my total calories for that day was 2272.
For another example I hit 277 carbs, 49 fat, 157 protein, 26 fiber. So, 2177 calories (2229 calories with fiber factored in). But MyfitnessPal was telling me my total calories that day were 2270.
Basically these are fairly inaccurate. So my question is how should I tally my calories/macros at the end of the day? I usually just add up the calories from my macros. Should I include my fiber? Or what's up? I don't mind if the calories displayed on myfitnesspal are inaccurate, that doesn't bother me. If I know I hit my calories fine, that's fine by me. I just want to double check.
Also I live in New Zealand, I say that because I know some countries factor the fiber into the carbs and some don't. However a few of my entries (like usually produce like fruit and vegetables) are like the previous user entries so I doubt those ones would be inputted from New Zealand. I don't know if that makes a difference, but I thought I'd add it in there.
2200 Calories
160 Protein
50 Fat
275 Carbs.
I usually hit my macros pretty well but the calories are always all over the place. What I do is I eat throughout the day and then I make my macros add up to 2200. Because I don't always hit exactly 50 fat or 160 protein. So I will tally up my macros and fit them to my calories.
Example on one day I hit 289 carbs, 43 fat and 165 protein. 289*4+43*9+165*4=2203 (I try to hit my calories within a 20 calorie range). But on that day my calories were 2272. I also hit 32 grams of fiber Which if I factored that in, it would be 289*4+43*9+165*4+32*2 2267 calories, which seems more accurate.
Then another day I hit 273 carbs, 49 fat, 159 protein, 32 fiber. So, 2169 (2233 with fiber) But MyfitnessPal said my total calories for that day was 2272.
For another example I hit 277 carbs, 49 fat, 157 protein, 26 fiber. So, 2177 calories (2229 calories with fiber factored in). But MyfitnessPal was telling me my total calories that day were 2270.
Basically these are fairly inaccurate. So my question is how should I tally my calories/macros at the end of the day? I usually just add up the calories from my macros. Should I include my fiber? Or what's up? I don't mind if the calories displayed on myfitnesspal are inaccurate, that doesn't bother me. If I know I hit my calories fine, that's fine by me. I just want to double check.
Also I live in New Zealand, I say that because I know some countries factor the fiber into the carbs and some don't. However a few of my entries (like usually produce like fruit and vegetables) are like the previous user entries so I doubt those ones would be inputted from New Zealand. I don't know if that makes a difference, but I thought I'd add it in there.
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Replies
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Focus on the calories, as those are the key to your weight.
Did you ensure the entries you used were accurate?0 -
I make sure my entries are correct (and use all total carb entries - I change them if have to) and let mfp do the calculations for me.0
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »I make sure my entries are correct (and use all total carb entries - I change them if have to) and let mfp do the calculations for me.
What do you mean use all total carb entries and change them if I have to?0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »I make sure my entries are correct (and use all total carb entries - I change them if have to) and let mfp do the calculations for me.
What do you mean use all total carb entries and change them if I have to?
She's in Australia, where food labels are already net carbs. She would rather follow total carbs, so she updates entries in the database that she logs to reflect that.1 -
Oh I see, I'm in New Zealand, I'm pretty sure they do that here. Does that mean the calories from the fiber of the product are included in the total calorie amount but not listed as carbs?0
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If that's the case that makes a lot sense because I was tallying up carbs, protein, fat. If the calories from fiber are not included in the carbs then they would be unaccounted for. Which makes sense as to why the calories would be more than my calculations. Fiber is two calories per gram, correct?0
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If that's the case that makes a lot sense because I was tallying up carbs, protein, fat. If the calories from fiber are not included in the carbs then they would be unaccounted for. Which makes sense as to why the calories would be more than my calculations. Fiber is two calories per gram, correct?
Pretty much, yes. I wouldn't worry too much about it, though. Don't over-complicate it. Focus on calories and hitting your minimum protein and you should be fine.0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »If that's the case that makes a lot sense because I was tallying up carbs, protein, fat. If the calories from fiber are not included in the carbs then they would be unaccounted for. Which makes sense as to why the calories would be more than my calculations. Fiber is two calories per gram, correct?
Pretty much, yes. I wouldn't worry too much about it, though. Don't over-complicate it. Focus on calories and hitting your minimum protein and you should be fine.
Alright. The only thing is though that concerns me is the calorie rounding. That's why I've always imagined calculating your calories via your macro nutrients to be more consistent than overall calories, is that wrong thinking? It's why I've used the approach of px4,fx9,cx4, just wondering if that's flawed.0 -
Macros are not exactly 4/9/4 per gram - those are rounded figures. The app rounding calories would be made up for with the ability of the app to calculate fractions of grams. Either way, it doesn't really matter much. You're going to be adjusting your calories to your results anyway so any rounding issues will be irrelevant.0
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amusedmonkey wrote: »If that's the case that makes a lot sense because I was tallying up carbs, protein, fat. If the calories from fiber are not included in the carbs then they would be unaccounted for. Which makes sense as to why the calories would be more than my calculations. Fiber is two calories per gram, correct?
Pretty much, yes. I wouldn't worry too much about it, though. Don't over-complicate it. Focus on calories and hitting your minimum protein and you should be fine.
Well this is a pretty interesting problem. I think the thing brought up in the OP is that the fibre isn't being counted in the total calorie count. If I were you I would edit your food entries and save them in your meals so you don't have to worry about it later on. Sucks at first I know. Yes calories are important, but if you're not counting fibre. For me that's huge part of my diet. You have add the fibre calories back into your food entries, you can edit and save. it sucks.0 -
mutantspicy wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »If that's the case that makes a lot sense because I was tallying up carbs, protein, fat. If the calories from fiber are not included in the carbs then they would be unaccounted for. Which makes sense as to why the calories would be more than my calculations. Fiber is two calories per gram, correct?
Pretty much, yes. I wouldn't worry too much about it, though. Don't over-complicate it. Focus on calories and hitting your minimum protein and you should be fine.
Well this is a pretty interesting problem. I think the thing brought up in the OP is that the fibre isn't being counted in the total calorie count. If I were you I would edit your food entries and save them in your meals so you don't have to worry about it later on. Sucks at first I know. Yes calories are important, but if you're not counting fibre. For me that's huge part of my diet. You have add the fibre calories back into your food entries, you can edit and save. it sucks.
Fiber IS being counted in the total calorie count, it's that grams of carbs don't always align with the math of 4 calories per gram because some countries list total carbs and others list net carbs, in one case carb grams calculate to higher calories if done manually, and in the other case they calculate to lower calories if done manually if you don't also calculate fiber manually. If you leave it to the app, calories are pretty much on point given you've chosen accurate entries, save for insignificant rounding differences.0 -
mutantspicy wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »If that's the case that makes a lot sense because I was tallying up carbs, protein, fat. If the calories from fiber are not included in the carbs then they would be unaccounted for. Which makes sense as to why the calories would be more than my calculations. Fiber is two calories per gram, correct?
Pretty much, yes. I wouldn't worry too much about it, though. Don't over-complicate it. Focus on calories and hitting your minimum protein and you should be fine.
Well this is a pretty interesting problem. I think the thing brought up in the OP is that the fibre isn't being counted in the total calorie count. If I were you I would edit your food entries and save them in your meals so you don't have to worry about it later on. Sucks at first I know. Yes calories are important, but if you're not counting fibre. For me that's huge part of my diet. You have add the fibre calories back into your food entries, you can edit and save. it sucks.
Fibre is included in the calorie count, but not in the "carbs" on the nutrition label - it happens when a country doesn't show total carbs, fibre is listed as a separate entry rather than a subset of carbs.0 -
Alright that's great info guys. So I'll hit my minimums and leave the rest of the calorie counting to the app.0
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Mutantspicy could you please elaborate on editing your food entries and saving them in your meals? I'm not sure what you mean.0
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Mutantspicy could you please elaborate on editing your food entries and saving them in your meals? I'm not sure what you mean.
You can edit database entries (unless verified with green ticks) on the website, not on the app.
I do it to make my entries show total carbs not net carbs.0 -
Yea I think the Fiber was messing with it. Like for example this apple I have on my diary today is from the database, I didn't enter it in so the fiber will be included in the carbs. But like this wholegrain bread I added won't because it's from New Zealand where they don't. But they factor the fiber into the total calories. So if I calculate my macros without fiber I'd be missing out on the calories from the fiber that was left out of the carbs from the New Zealand entries. And if I include my fiber into my calculations I am doubling up on the fiber that's already included in the entries from other countries. But one thing remains consistent the calories because you legally can't skip out of them, sure you can round but you can't not add. So that's why I think now the most consistent way to track will be by looking at your overall calories and fitting your macros around that number. Thanks a lot guys that's extremely helpful.0
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I also have another question. Basically all of the produce I have is added from the food data base. Everything I have the nutritional label on I make sure is accurate. But like I buy my chicken from like the supermarket where they package them with no nutritional labels. How should I go about tracking such things? Also, most vegetables and fruits are random ones from the database. Like that apple I mentioned earlier. Frozen vegetables/fruits are accurate though because I have the actual nutrition details there.0
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
I see, so you add your fiber to the carbs on things you've added from Australia because they leave them out? How do you do this? If you don't mind
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The best thing you can do for whole foods is pick entries that look like they're from an official food database. These have a certain naming format that you will learn to recognize. Many have a "verified" green tick as well.
Here are a few examples of how the naming looks:
Apple, raw, with skin
Chicken, broiler or fryers, breast, skinless, boneless, meat only, raw
Nuts, walnuts, english
They're easy to spot once you get comfortable with logging.1 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
I see, so you add your fiber to the carbs on things you've added from Australia because they leave them out? How do you do this? If you don't mind
Its easier on the internet site than the phone app, I think. But go to food > Database > search black beans or something > pick one without a green check mark > there be an edit button in the top right corner of the nutritional info.
Tip be sure to change the name of the food at the top so its easy to find.
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